Steve Villalobos

Industry veteran says Gateway will give him interview advantage

‘Gateway gives you the chance to master the skills you need to know for your career’

Gateway Technical College delivers the training, certification and industry insight to its Culinary Arts students which give them a job interviewing edge when they enter the restaurant industry – even if they’re an industry veteran.

Steve Villalobos worked in the food industry at the largest dining hall in the state of Wisconsin before it shuttered its doors. Steve could have returned to the industry after the business closed, but chose to enroll at Gateway to earn his degree and the industry certification that comes with it.

“Having that experience and college degree will help me, and other graduates, immensely,” said Steve. “You gain many skills here that you won’t learn if you’re working the line. You learn it all – from costing out a menu to learning how to bake, make soup and a variety of entrée’s.

“The training you receive here is solid and will give you an advantage when you seek a job, and then when you’re working in a kitchen. It gives you a head start.”

In addition to the strong instruction, the foundational teaching and the career enhancement a Gateway degree gives, Steve says the program allows him to focus on his chosen career field, providing himself and other students with training so they become proficient in the field by the time they graduate.

He also points out that the dishes and menus they create and make are those that can be found at fine dining establishments in the area.

“It’s cliché, but there’s that old saying that you can do 4,000 things, or you can do five things 4,000 times and master the five things you want to do with your life,” says Steve. “I would rather master those five things than do 4,000 and not master any of them.

“Gateway gives you the opportunity to master the skills you need to know for your career.”